Machine for cleaning oil cooler radiators, etc.



Jan. 6, 1953 J; R. OKON MACHINE FOR CLEANING on COOLER RADIATORS, ETC

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 29, 1948 Jan. 6, 1953 J OKON MACHINE FOR CLEANING OIL COOLER RADIATORS, ETC

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1948 L I Iii] INVENTOR. JOSEPH E. O/(O/V Jan. 6, 1953 J. R. OKQN 2,624,354

MACHINE FOR CLEANING OIL COOLER RADIATORS, ETC

Filed Oct. 29, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VENTOR. JOSEPH A3. 0 ON Patented Jan. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE MACHINE FOR CLEANING on. COOLER RADIATORS, ETC.

The invention described herein maybe manufacture'd and used by or for the Government for.

governmental purposes without payment to' me of any. royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a machine ing out radiator cores of oil coolers particularly such as are used in aircraft where frequent and thorough cleaning is a prime necessity;

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of this kind which will clean" out a radiatorcore more thoroughlythan by cleaning 'rneth ods heretofore used in common practice.

Another object is' to'provide a cleaning machine of this character which will clean out a radiator core in less time than is taken in ourrent'practice." I I Other objects and advantages will become evident as the invention is further described with reference to the drawings, wherein: 7

*Fig's. 1, 2 and 3 are planview side' elevation and end elevation respectively of one embodimerlt o m in en i n.

Likreference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the drawings, a supply tank Nl'may preferably be provided with castors l2 for moving it from place to place. A pipe plug |4 may-be removed from the sump 6- to drain the tank when desirable. A heating unit I8 is supported on transverse members 2|! near the bottom' of the tank Ill for maintaining a cleansing' liquid at a desiredheat. A-shelf l9 ex;- tends across theinside of the tank near'the' top forholdingthework l-I which is to be cleaned. A' screen 2| is supported on brackets 23 along one "side within the tank. The cleaning fluid after passing through the workis passed through this screen back into the-tank.

A -shelf -2'2 issupportedon the end of the tank In by brackets 24. A box frame 26 is fastened to the top of the shelf 22 by bolts 28. A motor 30 is secured to transverse members 32 by bolts 34, the transverse members 32 being in turn secured to the box frame 26 by bolts 36. A switch- (not shown) may be provided for effecting operation of-the motor 3|].

A suction connection 40 extends from the tank Ill near the bottom thereof to the suction side 4| of a pump 42, the pump being mounted on the box frame '26 by bolts 44 (see Fig. 3). A coupling 46 connects the shafts of the motor so and pump 42 in driving relation. A gate valve 48 is inserted for controlling flow through the pump inlet. A pump discharge conduit 50 extends from the discharge side of the pump 42 for clean sec. 266) upward and through a check valve 52 and Yv fit ting" 54 to the manifold 56 from which two hose connections58 and 58' having shut-off valves 59 and 59' respectively are taken. An additional.

gate valve as at the end of the manifold 56 may beopened if it is desired to allow the pump 42 to run while, both of the valves 59 and 59"have been closedfor the-purpose of removing a cooler which has been cleaned and connecting another for cleaning. Flexible hose 6| and 63 extend from the hose connections 58 and 58" respectively to the :icooler H. A special adapter 61 is provided whereby fluid flowing through the hose 6| will pass throughthe core of the cooler l! and fluid flowing through hose 63 will pass through the passes through and operates a spring loaded'popoff valve 69 the spring of which is adjustable by-removal-of the cap 15, thenthrough piping 2;-'to *a surge tank 14, which Tis" mounted on the-end of the tank In by brackets '15; thence throughaacheck valve 16 through the Y fitting 54; where thecleaning fluid and the pressurized gasmix, then through the. manif0ld'56 to the hose connectionshut-offfvalves.59 and, 59 and, iftheyare closed, then.throughthe gate valve 6 0 into thetank 10. s i

The; operation of cleaning an oil cooler radi'ar-i tor with thespecial equipment herein disclosed may preferably be T carried out substantially as follows: i

The air inlet valve 64 and the gate val e859 and 59' should be closed while the hose 6|, 63 and 65 are being connected to the adapter 61. With the suction inlet valve 48 and the relief valve open, the pump 42 may now be started.

The gate valves 59 and 59 may next be opened and the relief valve 60 closed, whereupon cleaning fluid will flow out by way of the hose 6| through the core of the cooler H and back through the hose and screen 2| to the tank H], and out by way of the hose 53 through the shell of the cooler l1 and back through the hose 65 and screen 2| to the tank I0. At this time the check valve 16 prevents cleaning liquid from the pump side entering the surge tank 14.

The compressed air inlet valve 64 is now opened, and, because the spring loaded popoff valve 69 is closed, pressure builds up in the reservoir 66 until the spring in the spring loaded pop-off valve yields, whereupon a predetermined volume of compressed air is let out of the resservoir 66 and into the surge tank 14, whereupon the spring in the spring loaded pop-off valve 69 closes the valve until more pressure builds up in the reservoir 66 when the cycle is repeated.

The surges of air pressure received by the surge tank 14 are passed on through the check valve 16 and Y fitting 54, where they combine with the pressurized cleaning liquid before entering the manifold 56 from whence they are passed through the cooler I! in the form of highly aerated surges of cleaning mixture. A check valve 52 prevents liquid being returned through the pump by the air pressure in the surge tank 14 in case the pump for any reason failed to keep up its pressure while the air was still connected.

The frequency of the surges may be controlled by properly relating the air pressure at the source with the pop-off valve 69 and its adjusting spring (not shown). In average practice the surge cycle may preferably occur at from seventy to one-hundred fifty cycles per minute, depending on the size of the relief valve, the strength and adjustment of its spring, the restrictions in the cooler I! being cleaned and the pressure of the air at the source which may preferably be from 100 to 150 p. s. i.

The cleaning fluid may preferably be a mixture composed of 2 /2 gallons of soft soap, 50 gallons of water, 5 gallons of tricloroethylene and 5 gallons of creosote oil. When the apparatus is in operation the cleaning fluid mixture is preferably kept at a temperature of 180 F.

Having described an embodiment of my inven tion, I claim:

1. Apparatus for cleaning oil coolers and the.

like, which comprises, in combination, a main tank for a cleaning fluid, a pump having its suction side connected to said main tank. a source of compressed air, a compressed air reservoir having its inlet connected to said source of compressed air, a surge tank, a pop-off valve having its inlet connected to said reservoir and its discharge side connected to said surge tank, a Y fitting, a passageway connecting the discharge side of the pump to one branch of the Y fitting, a passageway connecting the discharge side of the surge tank to another branch of the Y fitting,

a manifold, a passageway connecting the third branch of the Y fitting to said manifold, and a plurality of hose connections emanating from said manifold for attachment to coolers to be cleaned.

2. Claim 1 with a valved conduit between the manifold and the main tank for returning the fluid in the manifold back into the main (tank.

3. Claim 1 with a valve for each hose connection for shutting off flow from the manifold into the hose connections.

4. Claim 1 with a check valve in the pump discharge passageway and biased to prevent return flow from the Y connection back to the pump and a check valve in the surge tank discharge passageway and biased to prevent return 1031; from the Y connection back to the surge 5. Apparatus for cleaning aircraft oil coolers, embodying a core and a shell, which comprises, in combination, a main tank for a cleaning fluid, a pump having its suction side connected to said main tank, a source of compressed air, a tank reservoir having its inlet connected to said source of compressed air, a control valve in said inlet, a surge tank, an adjustable pressureeresponsive pop-off valve having its inlet connected to said: tank reservoir and its discharge side connected,

Ito said surge tank, a Y fitting, a passage-way con: nectmg the discharge side of the pump to one branch of the Y fitting, a passageway connecting; the discharge side of the surge tank to another.

branch of the Y fitting, a check valve in said latter passageway biased ltO' prevent return flow from the Y fitting to the surge tank, a manifold, a passageway connecting the third branch f I Y fitting to said manifold, two hose conne ti r i emanating from said manifold, and an adapter attachable to the oil cooler being cleaned and having separately valved connections with the said manifold for directing the fluid mixture to.-

the core and shell respectively of the cooler and having a passageway leading from the said cooler to the said tank, said passageway providing'a common return for the fluid mixture from the core and the shell of the cooler.

JOSEPH R. oKo Q REFERENCES CITED The following references are of. record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS La Cross June '6, 1950 

